New York, NY – Dr. Cora de Leon has been appointed MSW Program Director effective July 1, 2024. Dr. de Leon will succeed Associate Professor, Center For Health and Aging Innovation (CHAI) Director and NYU James Weldon Johnson Professor of Social Work Ernest Gonzales, who has led the MSW Program since January 2021. “Dr. de Leon’s many and varied leadership roles and experiences within and outside Silver make her an excellent leader for our largest and oldest degree-granting program,” said Dean Michael A. Lindsey.
A Clinical Associate Professor at Silver, Dr. de Leon has also been Director of the Undergraduate Program for the past three years. She has strengthened the program’s academic performance and a sense of community. She oversaw the program’s largest graduating class in Silver history and led it to one of the University’s highest graduation and retention rates. Previously, Dr. de Leon served as Coordinator of Silver’s Westchester County campus from 2019 to 2021 and was the Practicum Coordinator for that campus from 2016-2019.
A graduate of Silver’s MSW and PhD programs, Dr. de Leon also holds an MPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and a BA from NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences. She has more than two decades of clinical and research experience, focused primarily on depressive disorders, federal tobacco policy, and Black, Indigenous and People of Color experiences within academia.
In her new role, Dr. de Leon will chair Silver’s MSW Program Committee and oversee all aspects of the MSW program, including its various degree pathways and four campus locations (Washington Square, Westchester, Rockland County, and Shanghai). She will overlap in the position with Dr. Gonzales throughout July and August to ensure a successful transition.
Dean Lindsey praised Dr. Gonzales for the energy, skill and intelligence he brought to his tenure, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, a transition in School leadership and a revamped approach to preparing MSW students for licensure exams. “His dedication and leadership have been nothing short of remarkable. He helped advance NYU Silver’s standing as home to one of the country’s best MSW programs while also directing CHAI and continuing his important scholarship on productive aging and social policy.” Dr. Gonzales will continue to contribute to Silver’s research, teaching, and service excellence as DIrector of CHAI and a member of the faculty.
About NYU Silver
Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to more than 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field, making it the leading destination for students who want to become innovative practitioners at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. The School has four campuses in the heart of New York City, Rockland County, Westchester County, and Shanghai.